Clock with electric oscillator-controlled motor

Abstract

The clock comprises an electronic part including a quartz oscillator controlling a motor. The motor drives, through a wheelwork, both continually running hands and stoppable hands. By means of a manually operated actuator, the stoppable hands can be operatively connected to, or disconnected from, the motor, or reset to zero. With the motor running, the continually running hands can be set to a desired time by means of a hand setting actuator. The crystal-controlled drive provides for high accuracy and the analog indication of the time and of the clocked intervals make reading convenient and fast.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A clock comprising: an electric motor which is controllable by an electric oscillator for the output of a timed movement; wheelwork means connected to and driven by said electric motor; a plurality of hands connected to said wheelwork means for movement to indicate by their respective positions, increments of time; a manually operable actuator connected to said wheelwork means; at least one of said plurality of hands comprising at least one stoppable hand for showing by its position an elapsed time; said wheelwork means including coupling means engageable and disengageable by said actuator to and from said motor and said at least one stoppable hand for respectively starting and stopping movement of said at least one stoppable hand; and mechanical resetting means connected to said actuator and engageable with said stoppable hand to reset the position of said stoppable hand to an initial position; said actuator being so cooperable with said coupling means and said resetting means that said at least one stoppable hand can be started, stopped and reset by purely mechanical force transmitted to said stoppable hand exclusively from said actuator by way of said coupling means, said coupling means comprising a lever connected to and movable by said actuator, a shaft rotatably mounted on said lever, a first toothed wheel connected to said shaft, a second toothed wheel connected to said at least one stoppable hand, said shaft connected to said motor for rotation; said actuator movable to engage said first toothed wheel with said second toothed wheel to start movement of said stoppable hand and to disengage said first toothed wheel from said second toothed wheel to stop movement of said stoppable hand. 
     
     
       2. A clock, according to claim 1, comprising a case provided with means for mounting said case on an airplane instrument panel, said actuator projecting from a front side of said case. 
     
     
       3. A clock, according to claim 1, wherein said shaft is journalled only at one end in said lever and is journalled at another end in a rigidly mounted plate. 
     
     
       4. A clock, according to claim 3, wherein said at least one stoppable hand is torsionally rigidly connected to a heart-shaped reseting cam and is associated with a hammer which is operable by said actuator and cooperable with said cam to effect resetting of said stoppable hand. 
     
     
       5. A clock comprising: an electric motor which is controllable by an electric oscillator for the output of a timed movement; wheelwork means connected to and driven by said electric motor; a plurality of hands connected to said wheelwork means for movement to indicate by their respective positions, increments of time; a manually operable actuator connected to said wheelwork means; at least one of said plurality of hands comprising at least one stoppable hand for showing by its position an elapsed time; said wheelwork means including coupling means engageable and disengagable by said actuator to and from said motor and said at least one stoppable hand for respectively starting and stopping movement of said at least one stoppable hand; and mechanical resetting means connected to said actuator and engageable with said stoppable hand to reset the position of said stoppable hand to an initial position; said actuator being so cooperable with said coupling means and said resetting means that said at least one stoppable hand can be started, stopped and reset by purely mechanical force transmitted to said stoppable hand exclusively from said actuator by way of said stoppable means; said plurality of hands including at least two additional stoppable hands; said wheelwork means including a gear train meshed between said at least one and said additional stoppable hands, said gear train remaining meshed during stopping of said stoppable hands and including clutch means for permitting relative movement between said at least one and said additional stoppable hands when said resetting means resets the position of said at least one stoppable hand; said gear train including at least one gear connected to a shaft and at least one pair of other gears; said clutch means comprising a friction clutch between said one gear and said shaft and a rocker connected to one of said pair of other gears movable to disengage said pair of other gears from each other, said rocket connected to said resetting means. 
     
     
       6. A clock, according to claim 5, comprising a case provided with means for mounting said case on an airplane instrument panel, said actuator projecting from a front side of said case. 
     
     
       7. A clock comprising: an electric motor which is controllable by an electric oscillator for the output of a timed movement; wheelwork means connected to and driven by said electric motor; a plurality of hands connected to said wheelwork means for movement to indicate by their respective positions, increments of time; a manually operable actuator connected to said wheelwork means; at least one of said pluarlity of hands comprising at least one stoppable hand for showing by its position an elapsed time; said wheelwork means including coupling means engageable and disengageable by said actuator to and from said motor and said at least one stoppable hand for respectively starting and stopping movement of said at least one stoppable hand; and mechanical resetting means connected to said actuator and engageable with said stoppable hand to reset the position of said stoppable hand to an initial position; said actuator being so cooperable with said coupling means and said resetting means that said at least one stoppable hand can be started, stopped and reset by purely mechanical force transmitted to said stoppable hand exclusively from said actuator by way of said stoppable means; said at least one stoppable hand comprising a stoppable second hand; said plurality of hands including a stoppable minute hand engageable with said coupling means, a running minute hand engaged through said wheelwork with said motor for continual motion to indicate the passage of time, and a running hour hand connected to said wheelwork to said motor for continual time indication; said plurality of hands including a stoppable hour hand engageable with said coupling means; said stoppable second and minute hands and said running minute and hour hands being mounted about a common axis and said stoppable hour hand is mounted for rotation about a second axis spaced from said first mentioned axis. 
     
     
       8. A clock, according to claim 7, comprising a case provided with means for mounting said case on an airplane instrument panel, said actuator projecting from a front side of said case. 
     
     
       9. A clock, according to claim 7, wherein said plurality of hands includes a running second hand connected through said wheelwork to said motor for continually indicating the passage of time. 
     
     
       10. A clock, according to claim 9, wherein said running minute and hour hands and said stoppable second and minute hands are mounted about a common axis and said running second hand is mounted about a second axis spaced from said first-mentioned axis. 
     
     
       11. A clock, according to claim 9, including a hand setting actuator for setting the position of said running hands, said hand setting actuator being rotatably and axially movable, said wheelwork including uncoupling means connected between said running second hand and said hand setting actuator for disconnecting said running second hand from said motor when said hand setting actuator is moved to set said running hands, and running second hand setting means associated with said running second hand actuatable by movement of said hand setting actuator to set the positions of said running hands to displace said running second hand into an initial position and maintain said initial position while said hand setting actuator is in its position to move said running hands. 
     
     
       12. A clock, according to claim 11, wherein said hand setting actuator is selectively displaceable into a first, a second and a third position, said hand setting actuator in said first position being disconnected from said running hands, said hand setting actuator in its second position being engaged with said running minute and hour hands for movement thereof with rotation of said hand setting actuator, and said hand setting actuator in its third position being engaged with said running minute and hour hand and with said uncoupling means and said running second hand setting means for moving said running second hand into said initial position and holding said running second hand at said initial position until said hand setting actuator is moved out of its third position. 
     
     
       13. A clock, according to claim 11, including a switch connected to said motor and engageable by said hand setting actuator for turning said motor off when said running second hand is held at said initial position by movement of said hand setting actuator. 
     
     
       14. A clock, according to claim 7, wherein said stoppable second hand and stoppable minute hand are mounted on shafts that are connected by a gear train comprising two gear wheels which form a coupling device controllable by said actuator in such a manner that on operation of said actuator for resetting of said stoppable hands said two gear wheels are uncoupled to separate said stoppable hands from each other. 
     
     
       15. A clock, according to claim 7, wherein said stoppable minute hand and said stoppable hour hand are mounted on shafts which are connected by gear wheels and a friction clutch.